Etrigan’s Journal Part 8

by Kevin Hines

I no longer die. Blasted to pieces by the dragon Lysander, and its only a matter of time before I have recovered. A benefit - some would think - but a peaceful death would be better. But I no longer believe that is possible.

Before I get to my battle with Lysander I should fill in what has happened since I last wrote in this journal. My last entry talks of our journy to the woods where Riatha wished to meet up with her people and also locate the artifacts of Daryuun. As usual it was not quite that simple.

When we first arrived in the woods we found a large portal or pit to another dimension. It seemed to be an entrance from Tenubria as undead slowly were climbing out of it. One mistook me for a commanding officer. I took advantage of the mistake to get a bit of information from him - but all I learned was that the sheer numbers of those arriving would cause anyone's hair to stand on end. I find it sad that the control and respect I lack in life, I gain by my undead nature.

As we continued our journey the elves of the woods located us. They were not willing to allow me entrance to their city unless I released my control circlet to Riatha. I trust no one more then Riatha, but I barely trust her...still I made the sacrifice. And it made me uneasy.

The elves have tapped into powerful magick as they have given their city the ability to float high above the trees. I don't know a lot about elves but this seems out of character and based on Riatha's subdued reaction I think I am right. The others had issues with the thin air but the elves seemed to be used to it.

I was treated more or less as an object. Some of the party looked at me as if I should be offended, but honestly it was easier to just be ignored. And at one point when Riatha was meeting in private with an elf I had the oppotunity to speak and unnerve the elven princess. That gave me some small joy.

Later both Riatha and I met with an assasin and his construct. He wanted access to Evelyn - he wished to kill her - and he needed me to get in. After a bit of talk I agreed. I blame Evelyn (and Kaylo and Lysander) for my dark fate. I owe her nothing. He offered me information for this opportunity.Apparently Evelyn has someone cloned my body and created a soldier to replace me. She's had ample chances to study me, and it shouldn't have shocked me, but it did. I have not decided what to do with this information. He then offered us a gift, and Riatha accepted a shimmeran of disspelling. I tried to convince Riatha that a flying boat would be useful for our trade business, but she seemed to disagree.

We attended a dinner where Riatha was given permission to enter the werewood as long as she was careful not to allow it to fall into rival elven hands. This was fine with us and we set out immediately (and I immediately got my circlet back from Riatha)

The area we were seeking was at the end of a long valley. It was protected by magic. We could not drop right in due to a ring of trees. This werewood was obviously the third prison we had read about some time ago. So we tried walking down the valley which seemed a path that would be hard to protect. But the issue turned out to be more magic. THis magic caused us to get smaller as we got further down the valley. We tried numerous ways to sneak by the various birds and animals that waited to snack on our shrunken bodies (I even tried to walk up the river since I did not need air to breathe) but nothing seemed to work.

We felt we had missed something obvious...which we had...but before we solved this puzle we found a more convulted path first. Emjad discovered a plaque at the front of the valley and on it was an inscription. Whenever this incsription was read we shrank. So we all shrank ourselves until the plaque was as large as a building and then we discovered a door on the plaque. We entered believing this was the true entrance to the werewood. Instead we were all transported to a small room in some sort of rune box

that floated high above the world. Inside the room was a rune construct creature who was more then happy to talk. He told us that he - and his two brothers - were built by the second (Some rune-master we have heard about before). He also spoke of a disagreement with the first. It was all vague and I did not follow most of it. Apparently he was bored and was pleased to learn that I would be alive forever and not die of hunger like most of his guests. We obviously didn't plan to die here and began looking for an

exit. It was discovered that the room was just an extension of the construct and the only rune free space on the entire object was between his eyes. We convinced him to stretch this opening to allow us to leave, and that he could follow by twisting himself inside out. He followed but apparently the inversion left him unstable because he exploded.

Our next attempt to enter the werewood involved trying to ride the birds. Or allowing them to grab us and take us away. To limit the number of us that needed to be carried I climbed into the bag of holding. I am nothing more then a thing. While I was unaware of what happened. It appears everyone involved was eaten and passed through these animals to find ourselves inside the werewood. An odd (and disgusting) way to enter.

In the center of this clearing was a cave shaped like a giant dead turtle. Or more likely the remains of some enormouse turtle-like creature that was long dead. In front of the mouth of the turtle was another construct, not unlike the one we encountered inside the flying room. He seemed to be more occupied with his gardening and was not offering us any opposition. So we entered the turtle.

Walking through the deceased creature we encountered little opposition although we did pass a small mushroom forest in the lower regions of the turtle. But in no time we reached the bottom end of the turtle and there in a pile of manure was growing a pitiful looking tree.

The tree was Daryuun, the legendary - and last known - Great Druid. To save his life we determined we could bash some openings to let more light in, but before we could do that the tree begged us to stop. If the light entered he would start to grow and most likely his roots would reach the ground and that would alert all his enemies of his location. They would come and destroy him. Instead of fighting for his life Daryuun would rather slowly wither away.

We decided it was better to try and let him live then to just give up and so we embarked on a plan to open the turtle to let in maximum light but still give us some cover from attacking creatures. We also decided to start at first light so that Daryuun would gain the maximum time to grow before we were attacked. And of course we would stand guard. Daryuun offered us some artifacts to help in our task - including the bow Riatha was seeking and a broach that would aid in hurting the constructs we had met earlier. He also showed us the corpse of Gaspar who had been here before us.

Before letting the light in Emjad took the broach and used it to help kill the gardner construct - who we feared would attack us immidiately and we wanted to reduce the number of enemies we fought at one time. When morning arrived I used my maul to open up the turtle. The light had an immediate effect on Daryuun. He grew fast and soon his roots had reach the ground, and shortly after that Daryuun had reached some nearby ley lines. Once that happned everyone who wanted to know of Daryuun's whereabouts was sure to know. By evening we saw a line of little undead pygmies around the cliffs looking down at us. They couldn't get in. The ring of trees was protecting us.

Shortly thereafter an enormous dragon appeared in the sky. He was hard to see as he as black as the night sky but every now and then we saw him crash againt the invisible barriar trying to read Daryuun. Then things got worse. Daryuun alerted us that a third construct was moving. Somewhere from within the mushroom forest. He asked us to subdue him before he let in all the creatures above.

Emjad took the broach and tried to hurt the construct, but knocking out an unliving being proved too difficult for Emjad and he was stunned. I took the broach from Emjad and rather then waste time I simply destroyed the construct. Unfortunately that construct's life force also was keeping the barriar up. As soon as he died the dragon and pygmys swarmed down upon us.We stood atop the turtle's shell as the dragon swooped in and the swarms of creatures charged for the opening. The dragon cast darkness on the entire area. My exploits in Veckna's realm had given me the ability to fight while blinded and the darkness caused little problem. I wish using this twisted gift would have caused me even the slightest bit of trepidation but it did not. I continued to take swipes at the dragon, but eventually the dragon turned his full attention on me and destroyed me.

I would eventually wake up when we arrived back in Noguard.

I was informed that the dragon was defeated - in no small part thanks to Wen - and was banished back to wherever he had come. Also somehow the group had been informed that the dragon was actually Lysander in his true form. The same Lysander that caused me to be trapped in this tormented form. I hate Lysander even more then I hate that betrayer Kaylo. Eventually some rune casters arrived to take Daryuun away, but by then Daryuun had transfered his essence into a mouse that Wen now carried with him.

Tommorrow I have been told the assassin who wished to visit Evelyn would be arriving.

* * *

I am preparing to burn this journal. My life has entered a new phase and I wish to destroy my past. But I will finish this one last entry first. Perhaps it is an exercise in futility, but then - that is what my life seems to have become.

The assassin arrived the day after I regained conciousness and we told him it was best to allow me to heal to near full strength before meeting with Evelyn. We waited for as long as Evelyn would wait - even making a brief trip to the Shackeled City to check up on some details. But then shortly after we went to meet with her.

Shortly after we entered Evelyn began to complain that I had been up to trouble. That was all I could handle. I was angry. I pointed out how she sided with Lysander who was responsible for my current state and she countered by complaining that I was not around enough. I told her that was no excuse and that she had always hidden her motives fom me. She then revealed the duplicate of me. Despite knowing of its existance I was angered even further, and the other Etrigan challenged me to a fight. As soon as we began the others attacked as well. The False Etrigan seemed to want an honorable combat one on one. What it knew of honor I have no idea. I just wanted him dead and required no such thing. He transformed into his demon guise and offered to transport us elsewhere, and I refused. But after a few more of Riatha's arrows in his side he took us away despite my refusal. As soon as we re-materialized I killed the coward. However, he was also my way home.

I found myself in the abyss. I didn't realize this at the time, though I knew it was a hell dimesnsion. I took the False Etrigan's head, chose a direction and began to march. I did not get tired or thirsty so I was in no hurry. Eventually I came upon the skeleton of some large beast. A wyrm of some sort. I decided to smash it to the crowd. Pulverize it and try to attract attention.

It worked. Soon after the dust settled a demon appeared before me. The demon was full-blooded unlike my former self. He agreed to take me to his realm where I would be offered assitance in returning myself to my demon heritage. Before I could accept a dragon showed up. It was a follower of Tiamet who made me a similar offer. On a gut instinct I chose Tiamet. To her I was demon, but to the demon I was a half-breed. And that seemed worse.

Now it seems Tiamet says she will help me, but first I must serve her in a war against the demons. I agreed. I know I can't fully trust Tiamet, and who knows where this will lead me. All I know is that my life as a human is over.